Adjustably extensible shoe form



March 15, 1932. w. B. CONNER ADJUSTABLY EXTENSIBLE SHOE FOR" Filed Jan.17, 1930 W/LL 04M BOUDl/VO 7' CON/V4172 Patented Mar. 15, 1932 WILLIAMBOU'DINOT CONNER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

ADJUSTABLY EXTENSIBLE SHOE FORM Application filed January 17, 1930.Serial No. 421,512.

This invention relates to an adjustably extensible shoe form adapted tobe placed in a shoe when the shoe is not in use or when displayed asmerchandise to keep the shoe in proper stretched condition so as toprevent wrinkling of the leather and maintain the shape of the shoe.

A general object of the invention is to provide an extensible shoe formhaving separate 1o fore and heel parts with provision for a pivotalmovement of the heel part upon the fore part for convenience ofinserting the form into and withdrawing it from the shoe and also havingmeans whereby all adjustments for the required degree of extension ofthe form can be conveniently, quickly and accurately made while the formis within the shoe and thus avoid the necessity of trial adjustments ofthe form outside the shoe with the often attendant objectionableresults, from inaccurate adjustments, of either insufficient pressureexerted by the form in the shoe or of undue stretching and distortion ofthe shoe when the form is forced thereinto. as

to embody the provision for pivotal movement of the heel part on thefore part of the fo "in and the means for adjustably extending the formin one structural connection betweenthe fore and heel parts, thussubstantially simplifying the form.

Another object of the invention is to make the single structuralconnection last referred to one of substantial rigidity and one whichwill positively hold the parts of the form to their extended positionswithout possibility of their retraction or turning movement out ofproper alignment with one another under the reaction pressure of theshoe on the extended form.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a shoe form havingthe foregoing advantageous features and in which the adjusting means issuch as to give a double extension and retraction by simultaneousopposite directions of ositive movements of the parts of the form orrapidity as well as accuracy of adjustment.

The foregoing and other objects and the principles of my invention willmore fully Another general object of the invention is appear from thedetailed description of a preferred embodiment of the invention hereinafter presented and illustrated in the accompanying drawings forming apart of this specification. It is to be understood, how- 5:, ever, thatthe embodiment described and shown in the drawings is simply one exampleillustrative of the principles of the invention and is not to be takenas limiting the invention to that precise form, the invention includingmodifications of the embodiment shown and other embodiments according tothe scope of the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 presents a side elevational view of the adjustably extensibleshoe form constituting", as stated above, a preferred embodiment of theinvention, with certain interior parts which are not exposed to viewshown in dotted lines, and with a showing also in dotted lines, of theheel part of the form pivoted upwardly, the full lines showing the foreand heel parts in that horizontal aligned position they would occupywhen in use in the s 0e; I

Figure 2 presents a bottom plan view of the form with the fore and heelparts in their horizontal aligned position as shown in the full lines inFig. l, and with the form in substantially its condition of extensionadjustment shown in Fig. 1;

Figure 3 presents a vertical sectional view along the longitudinal axisof the form with certain parts of the operating mechanism shown inelevation and with the extension adjustment substantially as in theother Views.

The principles of the invention are such as to enable a simple structureof fore and heel parts to be used without complications of structure orsubstantial additions thereto for the pivotal connection between theparts or the mounting of the adjusting mechanism. In the present examplethe fore and heel parts of the simple character referred to are shown at10 and 11, respectively. They are preferably, although not necessarily,of shell-like or' hollow form as shown.

In the illustrative example of the invention, the means effecting theextension and retraction of the form comprises a rotatable shaft 12lying in the Vertical longitudinal median plan of the form and havingscrew threaded end portions designed for threaded relation with the foreand heel parts of the form through suitable bosses or mountings on thoseparts so that the shaft with the bosses or mountings referred to form arigid straightdine connection and abutment be tween the fore and heelparts of the form, and a turning of the shaft in opposite directions ofrotation extends and retracts the form in simultaneous oppositedirections of positive movements of both parts of the form.

The mounting for the shaft 12 on the heel part of the form isconveniently provided for by a boss 13 with a threaded bore to receiveand cooperate with one of the screwthreaded end portions of the shaft asshown in Fig. 3. The mounting for the shaft 12 on the fore part of theform, in the example shown, comprises a member, of right angular orL-shape in vertical cross section, having a horizontal bottom port-ion 11- and an upwardly and vertically extending reduced or lug portion 15,as the position of the parts appear in Fig. 3, pivotally mounted on thefore part of the form, and with this lug por tion apertured and threadedto receive therethrough the adjacent screw threaded end portion of theshaft. F or this pivotal mounting, notched lugs 16 are formed on theopposed interior side walls of the fore part of the form to receive andhold, by the pins 17, and thereby to subtend between then, pintle 18which extends through a bored boss 19 formed on the upper extremity ofthe lug portion 15 of the L-shaped member.

One of the advantageous features contemplated by the present invention,in association with the provision of a pivotal connection between thefore and heel parts of the form, is the mounting of the operating meansfor the screw shaft or other extension adjusting mechanism between thefore and heel parts of the form so as to avoid complications of thestructure of those parts of the form or of the pivotal member employedin the connection between them either to mount or cooperate with saidoperating means. In

the present example, such operating means comprises a bevel gear 20fixedly mounted 011 the unthreaded portion of the shaft 12 and a bevelgear 21 coacting with the gear 20 to drive the same, the gear 21 in turnbeing manually operated by the handle 22 extending upwardly between thefore and heel parts of the form in convenient position for the manualoperation even when the form is in the shoe.

Another advantageous feature contemplated'by my invention, inassociation with the pivotal connection'between the fore and heel partsof the form, and preferably as a structural part of the pivotalconnect-ion, is

the provision of means to keep the fore and heel parts of the form intheir proper aligned body positions without any tendency to bodily turnor pivot from those positions in any position of extension adjustment ofthe form. lVhere a screw shaft extension conneetion is used between thefore and heel parts of the form as in the illustrative embodiment of theinvention, this means serves to prevent the bodily turning of thoseparts upon the shaft or with respect to each other.

In'the example shown, the means for keeping the fore and heel parts fromturning on thescrew shaft takes the form of a housing over and fixedlycentered by the gear mechanism for operating the screw shaft and withside portions of the housing on opposite sides of the shaft extendinginto sliding engagement with wall portions of the heel part and themember pivotally mounting the screw shaft on the fore part of the form.'ll 0 housing referred to, as shown in the drawings, has a top portion23, two side portions 24 and opposite cross walls 25. The housing may beof any material otferirn sufficient rigidity combined with lightness,such as thin sheet steel or aluminum, or, if desired, of bakelitc or thelike synthetic resin composition.

In the present example of the invention, the housing functions toprevent turning movement of the fore and heel parts of the form on thescrew shaft by the bottom edges of the side portions 24 pressing on thefloor portion 26 of the heel part 11 and 011 the floor portion 14 of theL-shaped member which is pivotally mounted onthe fore part 10 of theform, as shown in Fig. 3. W hile if desired, the side walls of thehousing may also have a close sliding fit with the interior side wallsof the heel part of the form, this is not essential to the prevention ofturning movement of the heel partof the form on the screw shaft. All thecontrol necessary for both parts of the form may be attained by thecontact referred to above of the bottom edges of the housing with thefloor portions of the heel part and of the member pivoted to the forepart, and this arrangement has the advantage of permitting suchconformation of the fore and heel parts of the form as may present aconsiderable space between the housing and the inside walls of thoseparts.

The cross walls 25 of the housing are apertured for the shaft 12, andthe top 23 of the housing is apertured for the gear handle 22, thehousing thus being centered on the gear mechanism and supportedlybearing on the shaft 12 and on the bottom portion 26 of the heel partand portion 14 of the member pivoted to the fore part of the form withwhich portions 14: and 26 the housing has sliding engagement. It isfurther to be noted from the arrangementof the housing and gears in Fig.3, that the front cross wall of the housing is positioned on the smoothunthreaded portion of the shaft 12 and close up against the hub of thesmall gear 20, and this together with the engagement of the gears 20 and21 and the journalling of the handle 22 of the gear 21 through thecenter aperture of the housing effectively centers the housing in fixedposition over the shaft and gears between the fore and heel parts of theform.

To provide a mounting support for the gear 21 and its handle 22 in thetop of'the housing, that top is providedwith a bearing shoulder 27 aboutthe aperture through which the handle 22 extends, and that handle isprovided with a shoulder 28 engaging the bearing shoulder 27 for thesupport of the handle. The gear 21 is then supported from the handle 22,the lower portion or stem of the handle being squared to engage the gearthrough a vsimilarlyshapedaperture therethrough and the stemof thehandle being headed over as shown at 29 in Fig. 3. here aluminum is usedfor the housing, a brass bearing collar may advisably take the place ofthe bearing shoulder 27 referred to above. 7

The inward movement of the fore and heel parts in the retraction of theform may be limited by the adjacent ends of the Lshaped member pivotedto the fore part and the heel partabutting each other. As a simple andconvenient means of limiting the extension movement and preventing therunning of the fore and heel parts off the screw shaft, one end of thatshaft, the end extending through the pivoted member into the hollow ofthe fore part of the form, is headed over as indicated at 30 to form astop for engagement with the adjacent end of the lug 15 to restrainfurther turning movement of the screw shaft. With this stop, togetherwith the bottom edges of the housing engaging the fore and heel portions14 and 26, the parts of the form are locked from further extensionmovement despite the absence of a stop on the end of the screw shaftwhich projects into the heel part.

A. heel ring, indicated at 81 on the drawings, is preferably providedfor the assistance it gives to the removal of the form from the shoe andfor convenience of general handling of the form.

What is claimed is:

1. An extensible shoe form comprising, in combination, separate fore andheel parts, a member pivotally connected to one of said parts, andadjustable rigid means directly connected to said member and the otherpart of said form and operable to impart movement to both said fore andheel parts in directions extending and retracting said form.

2. An extensible shoe form comprising, in combination, separate fore andheel parts, a member pivotally mounted on one of said parts, meansforming a structurally rigid connection between said member and theother part of said form, said means being di-- rectly connected to saidmember and the: other part of said form and operable to adjust thelength of said connection to extend r and retract said form insimultaneous opposite directions of movement of both parts of said formin the line of said connection.

3. An extensible shoe form comprising, in

combination, separate fore and heel parts, a,

member pivotally mounted on one of said parts, means forming astructurally rigid straight-line connection between said mem her and theother part of said form and operable to adjust the length of saidconnection to extend and retract said form in simultaneous oppositedirections of movement of both parts of said form in the line of saidconnection, and a structurally rigid element fixedl I mounted on saidconnection between the parts of said form and having sliding engagementwith said member and the other part of said form to prevent turningmovement of said parts of said form relative to each other.

l. An extensible shoe form comprising, in combination, separate fore andheel parts, pivotal connection means between said parts enabling saidparts to be disposed in alined relation for use in the shoe and saidheel part to be pivo ed upwardly for removal of said form from the shoe,said means including a member having a pivotal connec a shaft in directthreaded engagement with said member and with the other of said parts ofsaid form, and means for turning said shaft "whereby both parts of saidform may be adjusted along said shaft.

5. An extensible shoe form comprising, in combination, separate fore andheel parts, a member pivotally connected to one of said parts, and ashaft in direct screw threaded engagement with said member and the otherpart of said form to turn on said nember and said other part inextending andretracting the form, and means for turning said shaft toextend and retract said form.

' 6. An extensible shoe form comprising, in combination, separate foreand heel parts, screw shaft means for adjustably extending andretracting said form by simultaneous opposite directions of movement ofsaid parts, a pivotal mounting for said screw shaft means on one of therigid mounting for said screw shaft means in the other of said parts ofsaid form, said pivotal mounting and said screw shaft means forming aconnection between said fore and heel parts of said form.

7. An extensible shoe form comprising in combination, separate fore andheel parts, a member pivotally connected with one of said parts, meansforming a connection between said member and the other part of parts ofsaid form, and a said form and having a turning relation with respect tosaid parts to adjustably extend and retract said form, and means mountedon said connection and engaging said member and said other part of saidform to restrain the parts of said form from turning movement relativeto each other.

8. An extensible shoe form comprising, in combination, separate fore andheel parts, a member pivotally connected with one of said parts, mean-sforming a rigid connection between said member and the other part ofsaid form and having a turning relation with said member and the otherpart of said form to adjustably extend and retract both parts of saidform, and means fixedly mounted between the parts of said form andslidingly engaging said member and said other part of said form torestrain the parts of said form from turning movement on said connectionelement.

9. An extensible shoe form comprising, in combination, separate fore andheel parts, a member pivotally mounted on one of said parts, a shaft inscrew-threaded relation with said member and the other part of said formwhereby the turning of said shaft extends and retracts said form, gearmechanism for turning said shaft mounted wholly between said fore andheel parts, a housing fixedly mounted on said gear mechanism, saidhousing, said pivotally mounted member and said other part of said formbeing cooperatively formed and arranged for sliding engagement ofportions of said housing with portions of said member and said otherpart of said form in a manner to prevent turning movements of the partsof said form on said shaft.

10. An extensible shoe form comprising, in combination, separate foreand heel parts, a screw shaft for adjustably extending said form, amounting for said screi' shaft ha ving pivotal connection with one ofthe parts of said form on opposite sides of the axis of said shaft, andstructurally rigid means fixedly mounted over said screw shaft andhaving sliding engagement with said mounting for said screw shaft onopposite sides of the axis of said shaft.

11. An extensible shoe form comprising, in combination, separate foreand heel parts of shell-like conforn'iation, a member pivotally mountedon one of said parts within the boundary walls thereof, a shaft indirect threaded engagement with said member and with the other part ofsaid form to turn on said member and said other part in extending andretracting the form, and means for turning said shaft.

12. An extensible shoe form comprising, in combination, separate foreand heel parts of shell-like conformation, a member pivotally mounted onone of said parts within the boundary walls thereof, a shaft havingthreaded relation with said member and with the other part of said form,gear mechanism on said shaft between the parts of said form for turningsaid shaft, and a housing for and fixedly mounted on said gear mechanismextending between the parts of said form and with sliding engagementwith said pivotally mounted member and said other part of the form.

13. An extensible shoe form comprising, in combination, separate foreand heel parts, a shaft in direct screw threaded engagement with saidheel part and rigidly extending therefrom, a member pivotally mountingthe other end of said shaft on the fore part of said form and permittingturning movement of said shaft on said member, and means for turningsaid shaft.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature.

WILLIAM BOUDINOT OONNER.

